To:
BC Premier John Horgan, BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham

Remove open-net fish farms from our waters

Cancel all fish farm permits and halt aquaculture (open-net fish farms) operations in the unceded territories of the Mamalilikala, Namgis, and Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw.

Why is this important?

Fish farms operating in Mamalilikala, Namgis, and Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw territories of the Broughton Archipelago in BC are threatening wild salmon populations, and poisoning vital water sources. [1] Deadly diseases and viruses from open-cage feed lots are spreading to wild salmon, putting at risk indigenous communities that rely on the wild salmon, and over 100 species that depend on wild salmon to survive.

The Mamalilikala, Namgis, and Musgamagw Dzawada'enuxw do not consent to the operation of finfish aquaculture within their territories, and peaceful occupation of fish farms has been ongoing for over 2 months. [2]

The BC Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham has sent a letter to fish farm operator Marine Harvest implying that they may not have their tenure for their Port Elizabeth salmon farm renewed in 2018, and Premier John Horgan has committed to further discussions with Indigenous communities about the future of the fish farms.

In the meantime, fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago continue to be restocked with fish that will out-live Marine Harvest’s current license. [3]

We need to make sure that the BC NDP hears loud and clear that there is widespread support for the removal of open-net cage feed lots from the Broughton Archipelago. We call on the BC NDP to fulfill their commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and remove all open-net fish farms from the Broughton Archipelago that are operating without the consent of indigenous communities. [4]

We demand that:
• No restocking of existing empty pens/sites;
• No use of hydrogen peroxide to be used to treat sea lice infestations;
• No renewal of licences and/or tenures; and
• For the industry to remove all open-net cage fish farms sites from the collective territorial waters.